Workmen's advocate., 1887-04-23
NOT ANARCHISTS.
A HAlF-HOUR WITH VETERAN
 JOHN SWINTON.
A Demag0gue's Trick-POwderl,'s $ Denials - DenunciatiOn of the Labor Party--A ROspate
 Spectacle, Pleasing
 To Behold.


 general knowledge of the great labor movement, and has ordinary gump- tion, reads JOhn .SmiAt0u's Paper. It comes every week laden with labor news and bright, sparkling ideas; sledge-hammer blows that fall with crushing force upon the shaggy abor- tions from scab-flled flasks, and gentle, corrective taps that make the burs fly, or prove the castings cracked. So it's good and profit able thing to read what John Swim ton has to gay, for he's no new conner on the field, and he is "crank' enough to be honest. It seems as if he sounded Il cracked casting last week, and if it proves true, there may be an addition to the democratic" scrap heap.
 Suppose We spend d half-hour with John. He tells us:
 ''In August of last year, we published letter written to us by Mir. Powderly, in which he branded as a forgery the re- ports of a speech which the capitalist papers had attributed to him. They had falsely put violent utterancys into his mouth, as trying to stir up strife be- tween the Knights of Labor and the militia, and Mir. Powderly was forcble in condemnation of this wrong
 And yet, John Swnton, it wasn t such violent thing to recommend workmen to get military education and the means to preserve their rights as citizens if at any time the capitalists should try to overthrow the government. But, since Mr. Powderly denied it, why, the boys took it for granted that he didn't believe in having the common peo- pie know how to handle a rifle. There are some very "respectable' people who think the same way.
 Whats that you say, Bro. Swim ton?
 'It looked, few days ago, as though there had been another forgery of like kind in the report of his alleged speech before the K. of l.. Convention at Har- risburg; but the Philadelphia Press, which published the report says it was procured from Mir. Powderly's stenogra- pher.'
 Yes, it did seem as if somebody had made 6 mistake. But, then, you. know, the Philadelphia Press IS of unsavory reputation, and may have garbled the stenographer's report. Yet, there are some who say that Powderly descended to the low demagoguery of Tipping little American flag out of his pocket and making Fourth-of-J July racket over it. Of course, workingmen are loyal to the old flag, but it did look like ''put-up-job' to carry banner in his pocket just to pull out for effect, didn't it.
 ''lIe spoke of the United Labor ticket at the recent election as an anarchist ticket, and rejoiced that anarchy had been showed under as it never was snowe under before'"
 When a fellow tells such whop- pers as that, it is perfectly grammat- ical and correct to denominate him as liar. But, dear John Swinton, let us hear what you have to say about it-we're listening,
 'Now there is but one fair way of judging the United Labor Party of Chi cago and it's ticket. that is, by examining the platform which the party adopted and the candidates whom the party put in nomination. As for the United Labor platform, there was surely not word of anarchy, or a squint toward anarchy, in all that. As for the men put in nomina- tion, the candidate for Mayor. Robert Nelson, is the Master Workman of one of the most populous and powerful Dis tricts of the Knights of Labor: and every other candidate on the ticket, with the single exception of the conservative law yer who ran for District Attorney, is member of the Order in good standing, and subscriber to the Declaration of PrinciL Lies, which is the very opposite of anarchy
 Now, that's well put, and worthy